With almost 1,000 inhabitants per sq.
km. Cavite is one of
the most densely populated provinces of the country. It is a
diversified province with rolling hills, active and dormant
volcanoes, rivers and beaches. Its fertile soil and abundant
rainfall makes it very suitable for agriculture. Rice,
vegetables, fruits and fish are the main products. Nearby
Manila is the main market for Cavite's farmers and
fishermen.
Tourism. Also tourism is an important source of
income for Cavite. Although Lake Taal with Taal volcano, the
world's smallest volcano, is located inside the neighbouring
province of Batangas the best view over the lake is on the
Cavite side. The cool climate, due to the elevation, and the
beautiful scenery of lake Taal, has made the area a top
tourist destination. But there are also nice beaches,
comfortable resorts, and good dive sites, challenging golf
courses, historic relics of the past and well-preserved Old
Spanish colonial towns.
History. In Philippine history the province of
Cavite takes a special place. During Spanish times Cavite
harbour was not only the point of departure and arrival of
the Manila - Acapulco Galleon Trade, it was also a centre of
shipbuilding.
The town was even captured by the British
in 1762 and kept in their possession until 1764.
In 1872, the Cavite Mutiny, an abortive uprising
of native workers and soldiers in the Cavite Arsenal,
falsely implicated three Filipino priests, Mariano Gomez,
Jose Burgos and Jacinto Zamora. Filipino historians consider
their execution in the same year as the beginning of the
Filipino sense of nation. Also the
first Philippine president, General Emilio Aguinaldo,
originates from Cavite, another Philippine hero, Andres
Bonifacio was arrested here by his own friends and executed.
At that time the Americans were impressed
by the potential of Cavite. After establishing (American)
civil government in 1901 they made Cavite City into an
important supply base for the American fleet. In 1970 the
Philippine Navy took over these facilities from the
Americans.
The name Cavite comes from the Tagalog word kawit,
which means hook. It is the original name for Cavite's
old population centre: Cavite City, located on a hook-shaped
peninsula.
Initially Cavite City was the site of the capitol of
Cavite province. In 1954, however, the Philippine government
decided to relocate the capitol to Trece Martires, a small
town of 15,000 inhabitants, about 25 kms south of Cavite
City.
How
to get there
There are several ways to reach Cavite
from Manila. The easiest, however, is via the new coastal
(toll-way) road. This road takes a lot of pressure off the
provincial roads. But traffic on connecting roads remains a
problem. A shorter route to Tagaytay City, and many towns in
Batangas province - and even to Ternate -- is the road via
AlabangCanlubang Super Highway and the Binan-Carmona road.
From Batangas province entry into Cavite is through the
Agoncillo-Tagaytay highway (along the ridge of Taal Lake)
and over the Nasugbu-Tagaytay mountain road.
What to see
The most well-known tourist attraction
of Cavite province is Tagaytay City. From its 2,200
ft ridge visitors have a spectacular view of one of the most
spectacular sights in the world: Taal Volcano on
Volcano Island inside Lake Taal. Taal volcano is one of the
most active volcanoes in the country, and at the same time
it is probably the smallest volcano in the world. Actually
Lake Taal is the crater lake of a much larger volcano.
Cavite province has also a few hardly
touched old coastal towns such as Maragondon and Ternate.
Towns where time seems to have stood still. Maragondon, at
the foot of Mt. Palay, has a beautiful old church,
constructed by the Jesuits. The same Jesuits founded
Ternate, a few kilometers north of Maragondon, in 1663. They
named the town after the Indonesian island of Ternate in the
Moluccas. The Spaniards left this island under pressure of
the Dutch who gradually overran the complete Indonesian
archipelago. Former First Lady Imelda Marcos had her
favourite retreat house, the Bamboo House, also in the same
town. The four-hectare estate is located inside the Puerto
Azul Beach Resort, the most beautiful resort of the
province. Recently another exotic resort was opened in the
same town: Caylabne Bay Resort. It overlooks a bay bearing
the same name.
Along the coast of
Cavite, actually in the mouth of Manila Bay, are four
islands with a famous history: Corregidor, Caballo,
Carabao and El Fraile. The first two are usually
counted as belonging to the province of Bataan. Number
three, Carabao Island, and four, El Fraile, are just off
Cavite's coastline and are usually counted under Cavite.
Although Corregidor was the most important and the biggest
of the four, El Fraile was the most unique. Originally a
very small rock sticking out of the sea, the US Army Corps
of Engineers transformed it into a battleship shaped
concrete fortress. The battleship was 240 feet long, 160
feet wide and 40 feet above the waterline. The imitation
warship was heavily armed: Battery Wilson, a rotating turret
with two 14-inch guns, at the time of completion was capable
of sinking any known warship within 20 km.; Battery
Marshall, the rotating turret at the front, also with two
14-inchers; Battery Roberts, a case-mated battery with four
6-inch guns; and a battery of 3-inch anti-aircraft guns. A
garrison of 200 men was stationed on the island. The
Americans named their impregnable fortress Fort Drum.
In spite of its formidable
armour and weaponry the Japanese Imperial Army succeeded in
taking the fort. In order to recapture the islands, in 1945,
the Americans had to blow them up almost completely. The two
islands are now the grim remains of a distant war. They were
never repaired or put back in use.
The island-fortresses are
clearly visible from the Ternate shores and friendly
fishermen are quite willing to sail interesting tourists
around the strongholds of the past.
The coastline of Cavite
province stretches almost completely around Manila Bay. For
diving an unsuitable area.
Where to stay
Cavite province has a wide
range of hotels, but only three are accredited by DOT:
·
Puerto Azul
Resort, located
in Ternate. Deluxe hotel. Exclusive,
but expensive. Rates around
P 3,000 - 6,000.
·
Mount Sea Hotel,
a "standard"
hotel in Cavite. Room rates around
P 1,000.
·
The Manila Manor,
in Carmona,
Cavite. Classified as "standard". Rates around P 1,200 per
night.
Other
hotels in the province are:
·
Taal Vista Hotel,
located on the
Aguinaldo Highway in Tagaytay. Rates around P 2,500 per
night.
·
Days Hotel,
KM 56 on Aguinaldo Highway. Rates around P 2,500 Per night
Where to dine
There is also a Cafe
Adriatico in Tagaytay, part of a large chain of restaurants
offering Filipino and European cuisine. The Philippine's
most famous folk singer, Freddie Aguilar, has his own
restaurant in Tagaytay: Freddie Aguilar Music Lounge &
Restaurant. The singer usually performs on Fridays and
Saturdays.
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